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Tourists, bidders and hopeful owners — drawn like bears to honey — looked them over before the Bearfootin’ Auction, which raised $20,900 for local nonprofit groups.

Twenty-month-old Amelia Johnston of Fletcher was drawn to “Amelia Bearheart,” a sculpture of a mother bear holding a cub with aspirations to do the impossible and fly. Both Amelias share the namesake of aviator Amelia Earhart.

Sam Johnston, 29, won the prize for his daughter with a winning bid of $2,600. The proceeds will benefi t Mainstay, a nonprofit committed to helping victims of domestic violence in Henderson County.

“I wanted the bear because of its name,” Johnston said, as he watched young Amelia cuddle up to her new buddies with a grin. “I’m going to put it right on our porch next to the ‘Lady Liberty’ bear (collected) from two years ago.”

The Girl Scouts of Henderson County claimed a victory at the auction, too, winning the group’s beloved “Juliette Beardon Low,” named for Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low, with a bid of $700. Half the proceeds will benefi t local Girl Scouts.

It was a great present to celebrate the Girl Scouts of America’s 100th birthday, noted Scout volunteer LuAnn Welter.

Their mascot will go to Camp Pisgah with the girls each summer. Each trip to camp will earn “Juliette Beardon Low” a badge to be painted on her alreadydecorated green vest.

Individuals, clubs and businesses sponsored the 12 fiberglass bears, which were decorated by artists and displayed on Main Street all summer, in the annual community project. The money raised from the selling of each bear was given to the charity of its sponsor’s choice.

Artist Patricia Bentley, formerly of Flat Rock, painted a vibrant agricultural scene on the “Ag Grrrr Culture Bear Necessities of Life,” sponsored by Lyda Farms. It took her about a month, she said, to paint the bear, which posed a challenge with angles and curves not found on her normal canvas.

“I’m a muralist, so there was a different strategy involved (in this),” she said, smiling as admirers praised her use of colors and imagery. The image of another bear in a tuxedo and top hat, bearing the moniker “Opening Night Bear,” charmed the crowd and brought in $1,100 for the Hendersonville Little Theatre. The top sellers at auction Saturday were “Mother Bear,” which sold for $3,600 (close to an all-time record high bid), and the “Together We Can” bear, which sold for $3,000. Main Street Director Lew Holloway said four bears sold for higher amounts than last year’s top earner. “I think everything went fantastic…. I’m very thankful to our sponsors and our artists” who made this a success.

This was the 10th auction of the Bearfootin’ Bears of Hendersonville’s Main Street.

The “Obearian” bear, painted by Gypsy Hundley, raised $900 for the Hope Chest for Women; the “Ag Grrrr Culture Bear Necessities of Life” raised $2,800 for the Athletic Booster Club of North Henderson High; “Juliette Beardon Low” by Donna Leven raised $700 for the Girl Scouts of Henderson County; the “Star Spangled Bear” painted by Patty Henry and “Amelia Bearheart” by Suz Roach raised $4,200 for Mainstay; “Mother Bear” by Cindy Bock raised $3,600 for Pardee Hospital and Mother Bear Community Action Network; “Joy” by Kate Stockman raised $1,200 for the Blue Ridge Literacy Council; “Borderless Compassion” by Vicki and Jessie Butner raised $1,600 for Four Seasons Zambia Partnership; “Promise” by Miriam Hughes raised $1,200 for the Blue Ridge Humane Society; “Opening Night Bear” by John Arnett and Amy Weinsoff raised $1,100 for Hendersonville Little Theatre; “Love to Learn” by the students of Mountain Community School raised $600 for their school; and “Together We Can” by Jeanne Fry raised $3,000 for the Arts Council of Henderson County.

<p>Black bears, brown bears, a white bear and blue bear adorned with paint and imagination were gathered around the front of the Historic Henderson County Courthouse on Saturday afternoon.</p><p>Tourists, bidders and hopeful owners — drawn like bears to honey — looked them over before the Bearfootin' Auction, which raised $20,900 for local nonprofit groups.</p><p>Twenty-month-old Amelia Johnston of Fletcher was drawn to “Amelia Bearheart,” a sculpture of a mother bear holding a cub with aspirations to do the impossible and fly. Both Amelias share the namesake of aviator Amelia Earhart.</p><p>Sam Johnston, 29, won the prize for his daughter with a winning bid of $2,600. The proceeds will benefi t Mainstay, a nonprofit committed to helping victims of domestic violence in Henderson County.</p><p>“I wanted the bear because of its name,” Johnston said, as he watched young Amelia cuddle up to her new buddies with a grin. “I'm going to put it right on our porch next to the 'Lady Liberty' bear (collected) from two years ago.”</p><p>The Girl Scouts of Henderson County claimed a victory at the auction, too, winning the group's beloved “Juliette Beardon Low,” named for Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low, with a bid of $700. Half the proceeds will benefi t local Girl Scouts.</p><p>It was a great present to celebrate the Girl Scouts of America's 100th birthday, noted Scout volunteer LuAnn Welter.</p><p>Their mascot will go to Camp Pisgah with the girls each summer. Each trip to camp will earn “Juliette Beardon Low” a badge to be painted on her alreadydecorated green vest.</p><p>Individuals, clubs and businesses sponsored the 12 fiberglass bears, which were decorated by artists and displayed on Main Street all summer, in the annual community project. The money raised from the selling of each bear was given to the charity of its sponsor's choice.</p><p>Artist Patricia Bentley, formerly of Flat Rock, painted a vibrant agricultural scene on the “Ag Grrrr Culture Bear Necessities of Life,” sponsored by Lyda Farms. It took her about a month, she said, to paint the bear, which posed a challenge with angles and curves not found on her normal canvas.</p><p>“I'm a muralist, so there was a different strategy involved (in this),” she said, smiling as admirers praised her use of colors and imagery. The image of another bear in a tuxedo and top hat, bearing the moniker “Opening Night Bear,” charmed the crowd and brought in $1,100 for the Hendersonville Little Theatre. The top sellers at auction Saturday were “Mother Bear,” which sold for $3,600 (close to an all-time record high bid), and the “Together We Can” bear, which sold for $3,000. Main Street Director Lew Holloway said four bears sold for higher amounts than last year's top earner. “I think everything went fantastic…. I'm very thankful to our sponsors and our artists” who made this a success.</p><p>This was the 10th auction of the Bearfootin' Bears of Hendersonville's Main Street.</p><p>The “Obearian” bear, painted by Gypsy Hundley, raised $900 for the Hope Chest for Women; the “Ag Grrrr Culture Bear Necessities of Life” raised $2,800 for the Athletic Booster Club of North Henderson High; “Juliette Beardon Low” by Donna Leven raised $700 for the Girl Scouts of Henderson County; the “Star Spangled Bear” painted by Patty Henry and “Amelia Bearheart” by Suz Roach raised $4,200 for Mainstay; “Mother Bear” by Cindy Bock raised $3,600 for Pardee Hospital and Mother Bear Community Action Network; “Joy” by Kate Stockman raised $1,200 for the Blue Ridge Literacy Council; “Borderless Compassion” by Vicki and Jessie Butner raised $1,600 for Four Seasons Zambia Partnership; “Promise” by Miriam Hughes raised $1,200 for the Blue Ridge Humane Society; “Opening Night Bear” by John Arnett and Amy Weinsoff raised $1,100 for Hendersonville Little Theatre; “Love to Learn” by the students of Mountain Community School raised $600 for their school; and “Together We Can” by Jeanne Fry raised $3,000 for the Arts Council of Henderson County.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily. weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828- 694-7867.</p>